‘Vote Theft’ Is an Attack on Constitution, Rahul Gandhi Accuses BJP, RSS and Election Commission
Congress leader makes strong allegations amid reported differences within the Election Commission over the SIR process
New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has accused the BJP, RSS and Election Commission of India of being involved in what he described as “vote theft”, calling it a crime against the people and an attack on the Constitution.
In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that those responsible would ultimately be held accountable. He also shared a video of an earlier statement in which he warned that officials involved in the alleged irregularities would not escape accountability.
Gandhi’s remarks came after a report by The Indian Express claimed that Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had formally raised objections at least 14 times over a period of 10 months regarding decisions connected with electoral rolls and the Special Intensive Revision process.
According to the report, the objections covered issues including the deletion and restoration of voter names, registration of new voters, changes to Form 6, appeals related to electoral rolls and the management of voter database systems. The report also said the two commissioners had raised concerns about certain decisions being taken without their knowledge.
Election Commission Rejects Claims of Division
The Election Commission has rejected suggestions that there was a breakdown in decision making within the three member poll panel.
EC officials said that all decisions taken by the Commission, including those concerning the nationwide SIR, were ultimately unanimous and had the approval of the Chief Election Commissioner and the two Election Commissioners.
The Commission also said that members can express their views, observations or objections during internal deliberations, but the final decisions of the institution are taken unanimously.
The controversy follows the expansion of the SIR exercise, which began in Bihar in 2025 and has subsequently been extended to several states and Union Territories.
The Opposition has raised concerns that large scale deletions from electoral rolls could affect eligible voters. The Election Commission, however, has maintained that the exercise is intended to update electoral rolls and identify ineligible, duplicate, deceased or otherwise incorrect entries.
The Indian Express report said the internal objections included concerns over changes to voter registration procedures and the centralisation of electoral roll data. It also reported that the two commissioners questioned whether certain decisions and communications had received the required approval of the Commission.
The issue has now intensified political criticism of the Election Commission, with Congress and other Opposition leaders demanding greater scrutiny of the SIR process. The Election Commission, meanwhile, continues to maintain that its decisions have been taken through the established institutional process and with the required approval of all three commissioners.